Aw, decorating your home for the holidays. For some, it’s a labor of love, for others it’s a daunting chore. We’re now in the middle of the holiday season, and you’re already done decorating your home to your liking. It’s the perfect time to reflect on how we did and what we’d do differently next time. On that, I’ll let Aimee Lyons take it from here.
The holidays can be a stressful time; between shopping, cleaning, cooking, baking, gift-wrapping, and entertaining, time is short but the days are long. It can be difficult to find a right balance between getting everything on your to-do list complete and maintaining a peaceful state of mind, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many ways to get your home ready for entertaining guests without creating stress for yourself; all it takes is a bit of planning and a few simple hacks.
The Best Tips On Decorating Your Home
For Holiday Entertaining
One of the first steps you’ll need to take is figuring out how many people you’ll have at your home, where they will be sleeping if they’re staying with you and whether there will be additional children and pets running around. Decorating and preparing your home with these things in mind will help save you time and grief later on.
After that, it’s simply a matter of taking a deep breath and reminding yourself that everything doesn’t have to be Pinterest-perfect. Your guests are coming to spend time with you, not that mantel you agonized over for weeks. Read on to find out how you can decorate your home for the holidays with minimal stress.
Think about your guests
Will you have small children coming who might be interested in taking breakable ornaments off the tree? Pets who might not get along with the family dog? Take these things into consideration when decorating and getting the house ready. If little ones are coming, consider putting up the tree in a room that can be closed off until everyone is ready to use it, or perhaps set up a baby gate system around it. Or, you might set up just a small countertop tree, which will be out of reach of tiny hands.
As far as pets go, you might consider having a pet sitter take care of your animals until after the holiday festivities. Having a lot of unfamiliar people in your home might lead to anxiety–which, with some animals, can be dangerous–and if other pets are coming, it might be easier to separate them.
Watch the fire
Everyone loves a nice cozy fire on a cold holiday evening, but if you have a lot of guests in your home, it might be easier–and safer–to have an electric fire instead of the real thing. Some units come in nice, small boxes so you can plop them right in front of–or even inside–your real fireplace to further the illusion.
If you do have a blaze going, make sure you set up your Christmas tree well away from the fireplace and keep stockings hung high enough that they won’t be a hazard. Secure them safely along the mantel. If you have a gas fireplace, install a carbon monoxide detector nearby, as well as a smoke alarm.
Don’t forget the outside of the house
Decorating your home, especially the outside of your home doesn’t need to be a Clark Griswold-style adventure. Nowadays, you don’t even have to bother with string lights at all; star shower machines are an affordable and easy way to light up the front of your home and will offer a lovely bit of decoration upon your guests’ arrival.
If the temperatures are mild where you live, spruce up the backyard by adding wreaths, twinkling lights, and comfy blankets to patio furniture. Having an outdoor space for guests to migrate to will help keep the house from getting overheated, overly loud, and overcrowded.
The holidays are a wonderful time to be with family and friends, and they don’t have to be overly stressful. With a little planning and time-management, you can throw a holiday party your friends will envy.
Thank you, Aimee. So what are your thoughts on decorating your home for holiday entertaining or other special events?
Life’s journey continues…
P.S. Take a moment to check out my recipe booklets for sale on this site and some ideas for decorating your home below. 🙂